scholarly journals Discourse marking in spoken intercultural communication between British and Taiwanese adolescent learners

Pragmatics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Liang Lin
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Functional Categories ◽  
Exchange Students ◽  
Intercultural Exchange

This study investigates and compares the use of discourse markers (DMs) by native speakers and learners of English based on a corpus of adolescent intercultural exchange students. Thestudy employs a discourse analytical approach, in whichFung and Carter’s (2007)multi-category framework is appliedwith a view to examiningDMs used bya group of Taiwanese and British adolescentsin an intercultural setting.The analytical frameworkcontains four main functional categories: Interpersonal, referential, structural and cognitive DMs. Each DM was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively in order to identifythe functions it serves in its original contextandtofurther reveal the different uses of DMs between Taiwanese and British participants. The findings demonstrate that the DMs used by both groups of participants serve the fourcentral functions,andin particularTaiwanese participants display a significant use of interpersonal (e.g., yeah, oh) and structural DMs (e.g., so, okay), while British participants have a significantly higher usage of referential (e.g., coz/because, and) and cognitive DMs (e.g., like, well). The results of this study have direct pedagogical implications that can enhance the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL)to better prepare learners for real life communication scenarios.

scholarly journals Listening Difficulties among Non-Native Speakers of Arabic

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Fatma Yousuf Al-Busaidi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Classroom Setting ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Constructivist Perspective ◽  
Radio Programs ◽  
Perspective Analysis

This qualitative study analyzed the listening difficulties of 19 students learning Arabic as a foreign language in the Sultanate of Oman from a social-constructivist perspective. Analysis of the data obtained from interviews and students’ diaries has indicated that learners experienced five listening difficulties that occurred either in the classroom setting, in their real-life conversation with Omanis or while listening to TV and radio programs. It was found that their listening difficulties were related to speed of speech, quickly forgetting what was heard, missing the next part when thinking about meaning, the inability to understand what they had heard and inability to match the sound of the word with what they already know.This paper also investigates and analyzes the causes of listening problems. The most frequent difficulties seemed to result from the lack of opportunities to practice Arabic. It has been also found that cultural differences have a strong relationship to listening comprehension problems. 

Idioms in intercultural communication

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-62
Author(s):  
Karsten Senkbeil
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Laboratory Setting ◽  
Native Languages ◽  
Pragmatic Aspects ◽  
Linguistic Approaches ◽  
Empirical Approaches ◽  
Cultural Linguistics

Abstract This paper combines central ideas from Intercultural Pragmatics and Cultural Linguistics to rethink an issue that has been amply discussed in various branches of linguistics: idioms, ‘phrasemes,’ and other forms of fixed-form figurative language, when used in intercultural communication (ICC). It argues that an interaction-oriented approach needs to think beyond the description and mapping of idioms in different languages and cultures, and apply both pragmatic and cognitive linguistic approaches to explain if and how idiomatic language works (or does not work) in ICC. Methodologically, this paper relies on a combination of empirical approaches. A data-inductive analysis of authentic intercultural discourse involving native speakers of German, Afrikaans, and Zulu, who use English as a lingua franca in a project management setting provides interesting real-life examples of the pragmatic aspects of idiomatic language in authentic ICC. The results of this pragmalinguistic analysis have inspired and are accompanied by a deductive-experimental study, using questionnaires for speakers of various native languages (Arabic, German, Russian, Spanish, Turkish), testing the cross-linguistic communicability of English idioms in a ‘laboratory setting.’ These experiments show that an appreciation of both the embodied and empractic-interactional dimensions of idioms promises insights into how figurative language and fixed-form expressions are used successfully or unsuccessfully in ICC and why.

The Business of Pragmatics. The Case of Discourse Markers in The Speech of Students of Business English and English Linguistics

2011 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 10-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lieven Buysse
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Business English ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Native Speech

Abstract This paper investigates how foreign language learners use discourse markers (such as so, well, you know, I mean) in English speech. These small words that do not contribute much, if anything at all, to the propositional content of a message but modify it in subtle ways, are often considered among the last elements acquired in a foreign language. This contribution reports on close scrutiny of a corpus of English-spoken interviews with Belgian native speakers of Dutch, half of whom are undergraduates majoring in Commercial Sciences and half of whom are majoring in English Linguistics, and sets it off against a comparable native speaker corpus. The investigation shows that the language learners exhibit a clear preference for “operative discourse markers” and neglect or avoid “involvement discourse markers”. It is argued that in learner speech the former take on functions typically fulfilled by the latter to a greater extent than in native speech, and that in some cases the learners revert to a code-switching strategy to cater for their pragmatic needs, bringing markers from Dutch into their English speech. Finally, questions are raised as to the place of such pragmatic devices in foreign language learning.

Foreign language teaching – Integrationism vs. MGM

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-20
Author(s):  
Marion Grein
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Game Model ◽  
Language Usage ◽  
Modern Language

Abstract Modern language teaching is no longer grammar based, but based on authentic real life dialogues (dialogic speech acts) which enable learners to communicate or rather to interact verbally and nonverbally competent with native speakers. The conception of language teaching curricula, especially with regard to the development of textbooks, is in need of an applicable model of communication, based on regularities or principles of language-usage. Both, Integrationism and the Mixed Game Model (MGM) opt against segregational static approaches of linguistic analysis and – at first glance – could be considered suitable approaches within the field of language teaching. Yet, I will argue that the Integrational approach is hardly applicable here, whereas the MGM perfectly suits the needs of foreign language textbook authors and editors.

scholarly journals Les apprenants prennent la parole : analyse des procedes de cohesion utilises dans le cadre d’une interview avec des locuteurs natifs

Neofilolog ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 91-105
Author(s):  
Freiderikos Valetopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
Professional Field ◽  
The Common

The aim of this paper is to explore the strategies used by B1 learners of French as a Foreign Language to construct their discourse and achieve cohesion during an interview with native speakers. The results of this analysis will highlight the characteristics of the development of oral competences. According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, B1 learners can communicate with some confidence on familiar routine and non-routine matters related to their interests and professional field. In an interview task, learners are able to take some initiatives but are very dependent on the interviewer in the interaction. Learners should also be able to use a prepared questionnaire to carry out a structured interview, with some spontaneous follow up questions. The corpus analysis indicated certain strategies expressing inter-sentential and inter-sequential cohesion, such as use of discourse markers (et, donc) or markers of agreement (d’accord).

scholarly journals Race and native speakers in ELT: parents' perspectives in Hong Kong

English Today ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chit Cheung Matthew Sung
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Global Context ◽  
The World ◽  
Important Means ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

English is used as an important means of international and intercultural communication around the world more than ever. Because of its widespread use in the global context, non-native speakers of English around the world outnumber native speakers by far (Crystal, 1997). According to Kachru and Nelson (1996: 79), ‘accepting even cautious estimates, there must be at least three nonnative users of English for every old-country native user’. A similar phenomenon is also observable in the English Language Teaching (ELT) profession, with the vast majority of teachers of English as a second and foreign language in the world being non-native speakers.

scholarly journals SYNERGY OF MULTILINGUALISM AND MULTICULTURALISM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER POFESSIONAL EDUCATION

2019 ◽  
pp. 517
Author(s):  
Tatyana Dobrova ◽  
Svetlana Rubtsova ◽  
Maria Kopylovskaya ◽  
Liu Changyuan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Internationalization Of Higher Education ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
English As Lingua Franca

Abstract. The article deals with the issue of internationalization of higher education, in particular, in the sphere of language pedagogy. The study is based on the materials of the research conducted within the framework of the academic mobility project exercised 2018-2019 in Saint Petersburg State University and in Harbin Institute of Technology (visited November, 2018). The process of internationalization is viewed through the prism of such intercultural communication concepts as multilingualism and multiculturalism and their influence on teaching and learning practices. In real life English as lingua franca is used by representatives of different linguistic and cultural identities to communicate with representatives of professional and academic communities for whom English is also a foreign language, thus teaching English as lingua franca requires professionals who are not native speakers possessing the experience of professional and intercultural communication in the English language rather than just native speakers’ language experience. The peculiarities of teaching in the above-mentioned universities were revealed with the help of questionnaires for both university teachers and students concerning learners’ practices in the digital environment. The authors set up the hypothesis that the results serve as an authentic manifestation of intercultural communication in students’ virtual activities in social networks and in browsing the Internet for relevant information both in Russia and China.Key words: internationalization of higher education, intercultural communication, multilingualism, multiculturalism, learners’ digital environment

scholarly journals DISCOURSE MARKERS IN AN ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (EFL) CLASSROOM SETTING: A REFLEXIVE STUDY ON TEACHING DISCOURSE

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 723-742
Author(s):  
Alan Tocantins Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Classroom Setting ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Pragmatic Awareness ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Study

This paper is a reflexive teaching study to investigate the use of discourse markers (DMs) in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom setting with non-native speakers. It is a qualitative and quantitative study that focuses on the teacher’s discourse by analysing the occurrences and frequencies in the use of DMs during interaction in class. The corpus was extracted from recordings made during four classes, and later documented through transcriptions. With items selected and categorized in an inventory, it was possible to explain the main functions of the markers used. With the aid of the AntConc© software, it was possible to visualize how the words and phrases of interest appeared in the corpus, in addition to their frequencies. The analysis reveals pragmatic awareness and the use, however restricted, of DMs in the building and organization of classroom interaction by teacher, which contributes to the coherence of his discourse.

scholarly journals The Challenges of Implementing Content Language Integrated Learning in Tertiary Education in Thailand: A Review and Implication of Materials

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Kamonwan Charunsri
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
First Language ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Material Development ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

The trends of globalization and intercultural communication influence education in most countries of the world. The implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a big challenge for Thai content teachers and professional development programs. It is not easy for both teachers and learners who are non-native speakers of English. In Thailand, English is used as a foreign language, so teachers try to find out the most appropriate teaching approach to develop learners’ English skills in order to serve the trends of globalization. This article expresses the idea of CLIL in Thailand, including challenges of implementing CLIL in Thai context, CLIL materials, and steps to successful material development in the Thai context. Additionally, it explains the problems of using CLIL among Thai teachers and learners. The goal is to understand principles that should be considered when adapting or designing CLIL materials for teaching in classrooms. Consecutive steps to implement materials to CLIL class are alternative for teachers to create the successful teaching. It can incorporate elements of the learner’s first language and culture effectively. Furthermore, appropriate materials can be used in the classroom to help motivate learners.

scholarly journals The importance of developing intercultural communication skills in teaching foreign languages

2021 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-98
Author(s):  
N.A. Kolyada
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Cultural Communication ◽  
Behavioral Norms ◽  
Cross Cultural Communication ◽  
Everyday Communication

The article considers teaching a foreign language as a means of everyday communication with native speakers of another culture. Special attention is paid to crosscultural learning, which contributes to the achievement of cross-cultural communication. The article offers opportunities for developing the abilities and skills of cross-cultural communication with the involvement of the material of linguistic and cultural content, provides examples of exercises for the development and consolidation of cross-cultural communication skills, aimed at the ability to interpret the existing various models of perception of the world, to relate other cultural customs and mores with their behavioral norms.

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